Lady Gaga Responds to Russia’s Anti-Gay Laws

Lady Gaga, one of the most vocal celebrities when it comes to LGBT rights, recently took to Twitter to condemn Russia’s anti-gay "homosexual propaganda" law, which has sparked a huge international debate over the past few weeks, MSNBC reports.

Under the vaguely worded measure, Russia’s LGBT community and LGBT supporters are prohibited from holding Pride parades, giving pro-LGBT speeches, or even kissing or holding hands in public in front of minors. Russian President Vladimir Putin signed the bill into law in June. Violators can be fined thousands of dollars for breaking the law, and both citizens and tourists can face jail time.

"Sending bravery to LGBTs in Russia. The rise in government abuse is archaic," the pop star tweeted. "Hosing teenagers with pepper spray? Beatings? Mother Russia?"

"The Russian government is criminal," she went on to say. "Oppression will be met with revolution. Russian LGBTs you are not alone. We will fight for your freedom." She later added, "Why didn’t you arrest me when you had the chance, Russia? Because you didn’t want answer to the world?"

Gaga’s tweets come after lawmaker Vitaly Milonov, from St. Petersburg, Russia, who wrote the city’s "homosexual propaganda" law, said he wants to reopen cases that accuse Lady Gaga and Madonna with "promoting sodomy, lesbianism, bisexuality and transgenderism among minors" when they spoke out for the LGBT community during their St. Petersburg concerts last year. Milonov recently made headlines for saying that the Russian government would enforce the anti-gay law during the Winter Olympics next year, which will be held in Sochi, an announcement he made after the International Olympics Committee said the government would suspend the law during the event.

In related Gaga news, the diva has her new single, "Applause," set to drop on Aug. 19 with her full length record, "ARTPOP," out in November.